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Dwyane Wade set to become free agent; Chris Bosh deciding

Tim Reynolds AP Basketball Writer

Posted:
06/28/2014 03:38:36 PM EDT

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Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and LeBron James jerseys are on display outside the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Tuesday, June 24, 2014. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that James has decided to opt out of the final two years of his contract with the Heat and become a free agent. Opting out does not mean James has decided to leave the Heat, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the four-time NBA MVP nor the team had made any public announcement. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has made his choice. Chris Bosh is still mulling his.

Either way, free agency for the Miami Heat is shaping up as an absolute circus.

Wade told the Heat on Saturday that he is opting out of the final two years and nearly $42 million in his contract, and will become a free agent on Tuesday — the same decision that LeBron James revealed earlier in the week.

Also Saturday, Udonis Haslem told the Heat that he will not pick up his $4.6 million option for next season. But Bosh is still weighing his options, agent Henry Thomas told The Associated Press, after a miscommunication earlier in the day suggested that the forward was already sold on the idea of opting out.

"Chris has not decided yet," Thomas told AP early Saturday evening.

Strange as it may sound, the decisions by James and now Wade and Haslem are considered good for the Heat, since those three moves alone free up about $45 million in what would have been salary Miami was committed to paying next season. If Bosh opts out, that figure goes to $66 million, and the idea of not having that locked into the books gives Miami tons of flexibility to lure their stars back into new deals — plus have enough money left over to make additional roster upgrades.

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"Today we were notified of Dwyane's intention to opt-out of his contract and Udonis' intention to not opt into his contract, making both players free agents," Heat President Pat Riley said. "Dwyane has been the cornerstone of our organization for over a decade, and we hope he remains a part of the Heat family for life. Udonis has been the heartbeat of this team for 11 years. He has sacrificed countless times to make this organization successful, and he is the epitome of what this organization stands for.

"We look forward to meeting with Dwyane and Udonis and their agent in the coming days to discuss our future together."

So now, all eyes turn to Bosh, who was part of the much-celebrated move Miami made four years ago to team up with James and Wade with the Heat. They've been together for four years, and have been to the NBA Finals in each, winning the title twice.

"We want this to work out and I think we'll find a way to get it done," Bosh told The Associated Press shortly after the Heat fell in the NBA Finals earlier this month to the San Antonio Spurs.

Haslem expressed the same sentiment.

"We all want the same thing around here," Haslem said at the end of the season.

Regardless of what Bosh decides, midnight Tuesday — the start of free agent frenzy — will be busy for Miami. James and Wade could be wooed by plenty of suitors. James has already been mentioned as a target of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the Houston Rockets — and, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team for whom he spent his first seven seasons.

But things are already looking good for Miami, which got the rights to former Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier on draft night — and Napier just happened to be James' favorite player in the draft.

Wade, James and Bosh all had deals with an option to become free agents either this summer or next. There's obviously no guarantee that all or any would return to the Heat now, but it's also hard to envision all three going their separate ways after making four trips to the NBA Finals together and winning two championships.

"We've got a lot of room for flexibility," Riley said as the offseason was starting. "There is a tremendous amount of flexibility depending on what happens. We're ready. Now, do I feel any pressure? No, I don't. I don't feel any pressure at all. I'm going to do the best job that I can do and we will all do the best job we can do. I don't think we have to recruit Chris and LeBron and Dwyane again.

"I'm not dropping championship rings on the table for those guys," Riley added, referring to his famous recruiting trick from 2010. "They can drop their own."

Wade took a considerable amount of criticism this past season, first for missing 28 regular-season games — largely because of what the Heat called a maintenance program for his long-problematic knees — and then for struggling in the NBA Finals. Wade averaged 24.3 points in his first 11 seasons and is unquestionably the most accomplished player in Heat history, leading the franchise's all-time lists in several categories.

Riley calls Wade "an icon" and remains sold on his value to a championship team, though acknowledges that at 32 and with plenty of injuries in his past, some continued evolution to his game — and perhaps his role — could be needed.

"He does have pain but he doesn't have the debilitating injury that could end his career," Riley said.